ENGINEERING
Ambitious – Eastgate Engineering’ s senior leadership team( from left) commercial director Anthony Fiske, CEO David Brennan, CFO Claire Maith, and managing director Paul Carvill.
IRISH BLOOD, ENGLISH HEART
PICTURES: CHRIS BOOTH WORDS: DAVE ROBSON
Engineering firm begun in Ireland sets up home in Tees Valley
It was born in Ireland but has engineered its success into the Tees Valley.
And after a decade working on major projects with some big names, Eastgate Engineering is poised for the next chapter of its inspiring story.
David Brennan set up Eastgate Engineering in Waterford, Ireland, in 2007 and is now the business’ s CEO.
Having served as an apprentice electrician, he’ d begun working on a consultancy basis and figured that starting his own firm, providing electrical instrumentation services for international clients, was the next logical step.
In 2015, having been drawn to Teesside by its potential and enthused by the Tees Valley Combined Authority’ s plans to redevelop the old Redcar steelworks site as Teesworks, Eastgate opened an office on the Belasis Business Park in nearby Billingham.
It quickly became Eastgate’ s main operational centre, although the company also operates from another office in Waterford.
But now, 10 years on, the firm is leaving its Billingham office – but it isn’ t going far.
In another vote of confidence for the Tees Valley, Eastgate’ s new HQ will be in smart office space at Mercury House, on the Teesdale Business Park in Thornaby.
The original plan was to buy a site but a desire to expand operations and have a base in the North-West, where a major new project is being developed, changed that idea to allow more flexibility – an example of the agility with which Eastgate operates.
There was never any question of moving from an area that’ s helped give Eastgate a successful first 10 years.
David told Tees Business:“ We were drawn to the area by its potential and because an international client we were chasing was doing a project here.
“ I love the area, the culture and the people. Probably one of the reasons for that is because outside of Liverpool, Teesside has the highest per head of population of Irish descendants.
“ I met a lot of people on the projects that we first developed here, whose grandparents moved here, all working in industry. But those same industries are what have made Teesside the way it is and it’ s perfect for us.”
With an emphasis on collaboration, Eastgate Engineering offers expert engineering and construction services
96 | Tees Business